Lipstick container



June 12, 1951 H. B. GREENE LIPSTICK CONTAINER Filed March" 16, 1948 IIII Illull Patented June 12, 1951 LIPSTICK CONTAINER Howard B. Greene,Cheshire, -C onn., assignor to Metalite, Inc., Meriden, Conn.

Application March 16, 1948, Serial No. 15,135

9 Claims. (Cl. 206-56) This invention has reference to holders 01'containers for lip rouge, lipstick and other cosmetic or stickmaterials,and has for one of its objects the provision of a device of thischaracter of Simplified construction, utilizing few parts and providedwith means by which the lip rouge is positively fed or delivered inrequisite amounts to its point of application.

The construction of the present holder is such that the same and itscontents may be made, if desired; in a thin, pencil-like form, thusproviding a relatively small end or tip permitting accurate applicationof the rouge on the lips. The invention also contemplates the provisionof a simple but very effective means by which the rouge contents of theholder is propelled out of or retracted into the body of the holder bysimple direct pressure or pull exerted on a rod-like impelling member,the latter preferably but not necessarily forming a portion of theclosure cap for the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a structure of thischaracter, means by which a coupling is established between a slidingrouge carrier and a push rod whereby the rod is not only capable ofbeing used for the propulsion of the lip rouge toward an open end of theholder but may also be used to retract the rouge. The invention alsocontemplates the provision of means by which the sliding movement of therouge carrier within the holder is limited and said means also serves todisconnect the coupling between the push rod and rouge carrier.

More specifically, the invention includes the provision of a liprouge-containing chamber or holder in the form of an open-ended tube,with the rouge contained therein and arranged to he slid through thetube toward and out of one of its open ends, the rouge being fitted intoa cupshaped carrier within the tube, said carrier being provided at oneof its ends with a clip formed with a plurality of spring fingers; andof a cap or closure member arranged to fit over and close either end ofthe tube, said cap member being formed with an extended part or stem ofsuch diameter that it will fit within the tube behind the cup, the endof the stem being formed with ahead for engagement by the spring fingersto thereby couple the end of the stem to the cup when the stem isinserted within the tube and is urged against the end of the cup. Theinvention also includes the provision of means, in the form of a grooveor recess in the tube, which serves to uncouple the cup from the stemwhen the cup reaches the end of its retracting movement in the tube.

These and other objects are attained by the invention, a more particulardescription of which will be hereinafter set forth and pointed out inthe claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of theinvention is disclosed, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a lip rougecontainer constructed according to the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlargedvertical sectional view through the body of the container, showing apart of the propelling stem or rod in position to urge the rouge carriertoward the forward end of the container; Fig. 3 is a similar sectionalview, showing the manner in which the carrier grips the end of thepropelling rod; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the rouge carrier; Fig. 5is a side elevation of the carrier, taken at right angles to the view ofFig. 4; Fig. 6 is a view looking at the bottom of the rouge carrier;Fig. 7 is a side view of a part of the rouge carrier, showing the use ofa washer between the bottom of the carrier and the spring means, andFig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view, through a modified form ofcombined closure cap and propelling rod.

With reference to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6inclusive, l indicates the lip rouge holder or body portion of thecontainer. The same may be made of thin metal, plastic or other suitablematerial, and in the form shown it is of tubular shape and open at bothof its ends. The rear or bottom end of the holder l is indicated at 2and the forward or top open end through which the lip rouge or othercosmetic dis forced out to position of use, is indicated at 3.

The lip rouge shown at 4 is in stick form and is of the usual soft andplastic nature and is carried in a cup-shaped holder or carrier 5capable of sliding movement back and forth in the holder I so that therouge 4 carried by it can be extended to a required degree out of theforward open end 3 of the holder, or else the rouge can be retractedinto and protected by the holder The cup-shaped carrier 5, thusconstituting a follower for the rouge 4, is formed with a bottom 6 towhich a spring clip I isattached by a centrally located rivet 8 or otherequivalent fastening means. The spring 1, which is shown as being offiat, leaf form, can also be produced by being stamped out of the bodyof the cup or carrier 5', as will be readily understood.

The spring clip I is of wishbone type and includes the two spring arms 9and It bent substantially as shown in the drawing, and each of thesearms is provided with a rounded, laterally projecting terminal portionl2. These terminals [2 are adapted, when the cup or carrier 5 is in itsfully retracted position within the container body I, as shown in Fig.2, to resilientl engage with an annular groove ll formed in the sidewall of the body I near the rear end thereof. By ribbing the body i asindicated at l9, said groove is produced. The tendency of the arms 9 andll! of the spring clip to spring apart or separate, is such that the endterminals l2 of the clip will snap into the groove H and remain thereinuntil force is employed to dislodge them as will be described hereafter.

At I5 is shown the closure cap for the holder, and in the form shown,the same includes a tubular socket portion hi which can be fitted overeither open end of the body i, the same being shown in Fig. l as beingfitted over the forward open end 3. Formed as an integral extension ofthe socket portion i l, is a stem or rod [6, which may be either ofsolid form or made hollow according to its method of manufacture. Saidrod or stem 16- constitutes an integral extension of the socket portionI l and it is of such diameter that it may be fitted into the holder orbody I behind the cup or carrier 5 for engagement with the spring clip Ito thereby couple the end of the rod or stem 18 to the cup or carrier 5as more clearly shown in Fig. 3.

To facilitate the engagement of the end of the rod or stem it by thespring clip I, said rod or stem is formed with a rounded head or knobii, the formation of which provides an annular groove or recess l9extending around the rod or stem below the head or knob ll.

From the foregoing, the operation of the device will be readilyunderstood. In its position of non-use, the device appears as in Fig. 1,at which time the front or forward open end 3 is closed by the cap l5.At this time also, the rouge is retracted into the holder l and the ends:2 of

the spring clip I are in engagement with groove H, thus holding the cupor carrier against any movement axially of the holder 1. When it isdesired to propel the rouge to bring its end out of the open end 3 ofthe holder, the closure cap is removed and the rod or stem portion l6thereof is manually inserted into the holder behind the cup or carrier 5as shown in Fig. 2. The arms or spring fingers 9 and it are, at thistime, sufficiently spread apart to allow passage of the head I! which isbrought up against the bottom of the carrier or cu 5, and when a push isimposed upon the rod or stem l6, it will move the cup or carrier 5forwardly in a direction toward the end 3 of the holder, and thisforward movement of the cup will bring the ends E2 of the spring clip Iout of the groove H. As these ends l2 are moved out of the groove H theywill be forced toward one another by pressure imposed on them by theinner wall surface 2! of the side wall of the holder or body 5, and asthe arms 9 and H] are thus brought toward one another they will embracethe head or knob I! and engage in the groove i9, thus gripping the endportion of the stem l5 and acting to establish a coupling between theend of this rod or stel and the cup or carrier 5. Hence it will beapparent that while the rod or stem l6 and the cup 5 are coupledtogether as above explained, any manual movement of the rod or stemeither toward or away from the open end 3 of the holder or body I, willserve to advance or retract the lip rouge accordingly.

. When it is desired to fully retract the rouge and separate the rod orstem Hi from its coupled engagement with the carrier 5, the rod or stemis pulled rearwardly, or toward the end 2, until the groove 1 l isreached, at which time the arms 9 and H) of the spring clip I will snapinto engagement with said groove I I, the arms springing apart in doingso and thus separating to an extent required to free the knobbed end llof the rod or stem it. It will be further noted that the junctionbetween the socket portion HI and stem it results in the formation of ashoulder i3 which acts as a stop to limit the insertion of the rod orstem 16 into the holder or body I and such stop accordingly determinesthe extent to which the. rouge will be extended out of the holder.

In the construction of a holder as above described, it might be founddesirable to definitely centralize the cup-shaped carrier 5 and maintainit so positioned by means additional to the spring clip I. In such acase, a washer such as shown at 20 in Fig. '7 might be employed. Such aWasher can be located between the bottom of the cup 5 and the top of thespring clip I and it will serve to wipe the inner wall surfaces of theholder clean during the sliding movements of the cup. The washer willalso form a tight seal at the bottom open end 2 of the holder andprevent dirt and dust from reaching and contacting with the rougecontents of the holder.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, therod or stem 16 is shown as an integral extension projecting from one endof the socket portion i i of the closure cap. A modification of thisarrangement is shown in Fig. 8, wherein the rod or stem I6 is shown asbeing centrally located on the inside of a closure cap I ia. With thisarrangement, the cap is telescopically fitted over the holder i when therod or stem [6 is inserted into the holder I, to couple the end of therod to the carrier by means of the spring clip I in the mannerexplained.

While I have herein specifically described the device as being adaptedfor use in connection with lip rouge and similar cosmetics, it isunderstood that it may be used for the propulsion and retraction ofvarious other articles or materials in stick form, as well as forbrushes, crayons and many other things. Hence, when herein referring tolip rouge I wish to be understood as meaning not only that particularmaterial but any other material or article capable of being used inconjunction with the mechanism herein described and claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A lip rouge container comprising, a tubular body open at both of itsends, a cup slidable within the body and carrying lip rouge, a springclip at the bottom of the cup, a recess in the wall of the body near oneend of the body engaging with said spring clip to normally hold the cupagainst axial sliding movement within the body, a propelling rodinsertable inside of the body to bring one of its ends against thebottom of the cup, said end of the rod shaped to engage with the springclip to thereby establish a detachable coupling between the end of saidrod and the cup, whereby upon imposition of manual force upon the rodthe cup may be slid back or forth within the body.

2. A li-p rouge container comprising, a tubular body open at both of itsends, the body having an internal circumferential groove adjacent to oneof its open ends, a rouge carrier slidable within the body, said carrierhaving spring arms adapted to enter the groove in the body and hold thecar rier against inadvertent sliding movement, a propelling rod adaptedto enter the body behind the carrier and upon the exertion of manualforce imposed upon said rod to slide the carrier toward the oppositeopen end of the body and disengage the spring arms from the groove, therod having a head portion embraced and gripped by the spring arms whensaid spring arms are forced out of the groove by the pushing forceimposed upon the rod, the gripping of the head portion of the rod by thespringarms serving to attach the end of the rod to the carrier wherebythe carrier can be slid back and forth within the body by manualmovements of the rod.

3. A lip rouge container having a body open at both of its ends, arouge-carrying cup slidable within the body, an impelling and retractingmember consisting of a rod-like element adapted to be inserted in thebody behind the cup and manually urged against the cup as a push-rod toforce the cup toward one end of the body, cooperating interengagingelements on the rod and cup respectively whereby the exertion of pushingforce on the rod against the end of the cup will serve to couple therod. to th cup, and means adjacent to one end of the body for causing adisengagement of the interengaging elements and for limiting the slidingmovement of the cup in a direction toward said end of the body.

4. A lip rouge container of tubular form open at both of its ends, acup-shaped rouge carrier slidable back and forth within the container,springs at the bottom of the carrier, a groove provided in the side wallof the container near one end of the same with which said springs engageto limit the sliding movement of the carrier, a closure cap having arod-like end portion for fitment within the container behind the rougecarrier, said rod-like end portion being shaped for grippinginterengagement with the springs when the springs are moved out of thegroove and forced toward one another by pressure of the wall of thecontainer.

5. A lip rouge container of tubular form open at both of its ends, thecontainer having an inside groove near one of its ends, a slidable cupwithin the container, said cup having spring means at its bottom, saidspring means being adapted to engage the groove and hold the cup againstsliding movement, a closure cap having a rod portion provided with arounded head at one of its ends, said rod portion being adapted forinsertion within the container behind the cup and adapted to be grippedby the spring means to couple the rod portion to the cup when manualpressure of the end of the rod against the end of the cup forces thespring means thereon out of the groove.

6. In a lip rouge container as provided for in 8 claim 5 and including awasher at the bottom of the cup between the bottom of said cup and thespring means thereon.

'7. A lip rouge container or the like comprising a tubular open-endedbody, lip rouge within the body and adapted to be slid back and forththerein, follower means behind the lip rouge, said follower meansincluding spring fingers normally urged against the inner wall surfaceof the body, said body having a recess near one end with which saidspring fingers engage at one end of the sliding movement of the followermeans, a closure cap having a portion adapted to be inserted within thebody behind the follower, said portion having an end part adapted to begripped by the spring fingers only when said spring fingers are locatedout of the recess in the body.

8. A rouge container or the like comprising, a tubular open-ended body,lip rouge slidable back and forth in said body, a follower at the backend of the lip rouge, a removable closure cap provided at one end with arod manually inserted into the body and engaged against the follower,means on the follower for gripping the end portion of the rod andcoupling the rod to the follower to enable movements of the rod to causethe lip rouge to be moved within the tube, and uncoupling means providedin the body near the rear end of the same for automatically uncouplingthe rod from the follower when the rouge is in its retracted positionwithin the body.

9. A rouge container or the like comprising, a tubular open-ended body,a cosmetic cup within the body and slidable back and forth therein, agripping device attached to the bottom of the cup and provided withspring arms in frictional engagement with the inner face of the wall ofthe body, an annular groove provided in the wall of the body near oneend of the same and into which said spring arms extend when the cup isin its retracted position within the body, a push-member in the form ofa rod with a rounded head inserted within the body and engaged by thegripping device to thereby couple the rod to the cup, said spring armsbeing caused to grip the rounded head of the rod by pressure of the wallof the body upon said arms when the arms are out of the groove in thebody.

HOWARD B. GREENE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,090,829 Baldwin Mar. 24, 19141,387,063 Matsugaki Aug. 9, 1921

